City of love and lovers For me the biggest disappointment in Italy

Who among us has not heard of the romantic and tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet The feeling that connects young people, and at the same time hatred that divides their families, has become a permanent part of world culture, and this motif has been present in many books and films for centuries.

So it's not hard to be surprised that the city of Romeo and Juliet attracts crowds of tourists every year However, before you go there for Valentine's Day, you better check what awaits you there.

Juliet's house, which is one big "bum" for tourists The biggest attraction of Verona is undoubtedly Juliet's house, where the Kapuleti family was supposed to live However, the truth is a bit different.

The building where the museum is located today was formerly inhabited by the Cappelletti merchant family Similar names, but not the same.

In the 16th century, the Montecchi family also lived in Verona, and that's basically where the connection with history ends There is no evidence that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet ever existed.

Julia may have lived where the museum is now, but she may well have never been there A big "sham" made for tourists is even such a popular balcony, from which the touching words "Romeo! Why are you Romeo? Renounce your bloodline, drop that name! Or if you cannot do it, then swear to be faithful to my love, and I will cease to be of Capulet blood.

Originally, this house didn't even have a balcony! The current façade of the entire building is the result of directorial work from the early 1940s The largest icon of Verona is therefore a fake, although stylized for that era and made of materials from the Middle Ages.

The sculpture commemorating Julia can also be a huge disappointment Legend has it that whoever touches Julia's right breast will soon find the love of his life.

As you can guess, there is no shortage of amateurs groping Julia, but here we also have a surprise The statue that now stands in the square is a replica.

The original sculpture is inside the buildings and cannot be touched If you are wondering whether it is worth visiting Juliet's house in Verona, my answer is definitely not.

Although the entrance to the square, from where you can see the fake balcony and the groped statue of Julia, is free, getting through the crowd of onlookers is a real horror Entrance to the museum costs 6 euros.

The amount is not large, but it is definitely not worth spending it anyway The biggest attraction inside the building is Juliet's bed, but not the original one, but the ones that were used as a prop during the filming of the movie "Romeo and Juliet" in 1968.

Amphitheater, another disappointment in Verona Another great attraction of Verona, and for me another disappointment, is the local amphitheater built in the 1st century AD The building is located in a beautiful square, and the queue of people willing to visit it is very long.

Unfortunately, inside we find only rudimentary information about its history, as well as many plastic chairs and a metal stage, because plays and operas are staged here, and sometimes concerts are also organized Gallery: Verona, in my opinion the most disappointing city in Italy A nice experience is certainly a walk through the streets lined with marble slabs, squeezing between historic tenement houses and visiting squares hidden between them.

The most beautiful of them is Piazza delle Erbe, although its charm is difficult to see among the dozens of souvenir stalls set up here If you have time, check it out early in the morning or evening.

Can Verona, however, surprise with something positive? Unexpectedly, the biggest attraction of Verona turned out to be its churches Although I am not a person who visits this type of place, looking for any interesting point, I visited several temples.

During your walk, it is certainly worth visiting the church of Sant'Anastasia, which impresses with its amazing frescoes The real pearl, at least in my opinion, is the church of San Fermo Maggiore.

The parish church of Saints Firmus and Rustyk is divided into two parts The lower church was built by the Benedictines in the 11th and 12th centuries.

The upper one was built by the Franciscans in the 13th and 14th centuries The two parts are completely different.

The first is a classic Romanesque style, with austere interiors and massive walls, the second is a light-filled gothic building with an amazing wooden ceiling decorated with images of 416 saints Despite the fact that the churches turned out to be an extraordinary attraction, Verona is definitely not on the list of places I would like to return to.

Julia's counterfeit house and tenement houses in its vicinity deter more than they encourage The arena and the Castelvecchio castle full of medieval works of art did not convince me either.

Ultimately, I'm glad I was able to spend a day in Verona, but returning there, especially around Valentine's Day, would be another disappointment, not a romantic trip Read also: Three countries dominated the competition.

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